When 23-year-old software engineer, Shweta Nayak, received a gift from her boyfriend for Valentine’s Day (February 14), she was both delighted and amused. Along with a diamond pendant, she got a ‘Tata Photon +’ data stick. “It had a pink picture of Cupid on it. Ravi gave it to me with a card that read: ‘God speed’. I loved it. Now, I can play more games on the go,” said Nayak.
The day is traditionally restricted to cards, roses, carnations, gold, diamonds and chocolates, But, companies across sectors — telecom, retail, hospitality, travel and fast moving consumer goods — are riding high on the love quotient.
State-owned telecom company BSNL, for instance, is giving a 20 per cent discount for every recharge to its pre-paid customers in Maharashtra and Goa. The offer expires on February 15 midnight, according to SS Sirohi, DG-value-added services, BSNL. Airtel is rewarding its customers who talk the most. To win gifts such as cars, overseas trips, mobile phones and iPods, customers have to subscribe to Airtel Friendz chat till February 28. The company is also offering a Valentine SMS pack with pictorial SMSes, love poems and love tips, at Rs 1.50 per day.
Reliance Communications has launched a voice portal loaded with over 350,000 popular romantic songs and regional songs, according to Krishna Durbha, head, VAS, Reliance Communications. Tata DoCoMo has launched a ‘2gether platform, created specially for Valentine’s Day, on which one can send anonymous SMSes and e-mails.
And of course, love cards and gifts continue to generate huge business. Over just three days (February 11-14), Hallmark, which has Vintage Cards and Creations Limited brands, is targeting sales of Rs 3 crore nationally and around Rs 50 lakh in Maharashtra. “Out of this (the latter), 30 per cent will be from cards in Marathi. We are clocking an 8 per cent growth rate annually,” said Nitin Naik, executive director, Vintage. The national market for Valentine's Day cards and gifts is more than Rs 25-30 crore, out of which greetings cards alone account for Rs 10 crore.
Chocolates remain a hot favourite too, and so do flowers. For market leader Cadbury India, Valentine’s Day accounts for almost 10-15 per cent of the total revenue. The company is offering bundle packs with small teddy bears, mirrors, key chains and necklaces, at no extra cost. These gifts will be offered with the company’s latest offering – Cadbury Silk. The chocolate will be available at more than 1,000 modern trade outlets and supermarkets across the country and will cost between Rs 50 and Rs 100.
“Rakhi and Diwali are our big sale periods, but Valentine’s Day also gives us decent earnings, which is going up year after year,” said Vinod Rao, assistant vice-president, sales, north, Cadbury India. Its arch rival Nestle, too, has introduced a range of options, right from song dedications, special gift packs and Valentine’s Day quizzes on its website, besides suggestions for romantic recipes.
And a Pune flower cultivator, Dnyaneshwar Bodke, has dispatched 250,000 red carnations to New Delhi for export to the UK, Dubai, Singapore and some European countries.
Titan, too, looks forward to V-Day. Last year, it did marginally more business on V-Day than it did on ‘dhanteras’ (an auspicious day for buying gold). Sompradh Singh, senior manager, marketing, Titan, says: “We have various offers like buy one get one. Apart from discounts on Fastrack watches and sunglasses, we have offers on brands like Tommy Hilfiger, Octane and Aviator. We are targeting 20 per cent rise in revenue over last year.”
Gitanjali, a popular brand in gold and diamond jewellery and premium watches, is offering a 25 per cent discount across brands. Mehul Choksi, chairman and chief executive of the Gitanjali Group, says, “Approximately 5 per cent of our annual business comes in February. For Gilli, it’s more. Approximately, 25 per cent of Gilli’s business comes this month.” In terms of money, he says, Gitanajli sells articles worth Rs 6-8 crore. Diamond jewellery is more popular than gold. Amrapali Jewels has launched a collection of heart-shaped pendants, gorgeous danglers and impish rings.
Hotels like Courtyard by Marriott also has big plans for the day. Goa Marriott will entice customers with sea food at its restaurant at the riverfront. For Rs 5,999 plus taxes, Hyderabad Marriott will offer a deluxe room with strawberries dipped in chocolate, a wine bottle, and a special dinner and breakfast for the next morning. It is also offering a 20 per cent discount on spa services.
“Since your favourite restaurants are at hotels named after the greatest symbol of love, we thought it is only appropriate that this Valentine's Day we bring you the finest they have on offer. And, for once, our chefs will be delighted to play the second fiddle!,” read a Taj Hotels, Resorts & Palaces newsletter.
E-Bay, on its part, is urging its customers to do something different like going camping and star-gazing. Beating the pre-requisite of having a partner to celebrate the day with, Ebay is promoting loving yourself by buying gifts for yourself. B Murali Krishnan, director, marketing and product management, Ebay India, said: “Apart from special offers and discounts, we are also conducting contests on radio and Facebook.” Online gamers, too, are indulging in some playtime with Zapak's 3 new love games. Love will never be out of fashion, says Arun Mehra, chief marketing officer, Zapak Digital Entertainment.
Meanwhile, ranging from Rs 125-850, a Ponds Valentine’s Day pack may give its consumers a chance to holiday in Venice, Paris or Rome. Retail chain Lifestyle is giving up to 50 per cent off on apparel, footwear, kidswear, and the like. Pune Central's Happiness Sale is giving a similar offer.
Provogue gives you more reason to like it with a flat 50 per cent off on women's wear. Bombay Store is offering 10-30 per cent off on Pashminas, scarves and stoles and has already done doubled the business it did last year, says Sunita Bhagatjee, head, marketing.
Pizza Hut's Valentine Special is a medium pizza with garlic bread making a chocolate cake worth Rs 20 only. Gyms and slimming and beauty clinics are also baiting customers with reduced prices.
Cupid is bringing all your favourite things at a discount. Companies are only hoping that consumers bite the bait.
| WHAT'S ON THE TABLE |
| * Tata Photon Plus data stick sports the picture of Cupid for Valentine’s Day. |
| * BSNL is giving a 20% discount for every recharge to its pre-paid customers in Maharashtra and Goa. |
| * Airtel is offering a Valentine SMS pack with pictorial SMSes, love poems and love tips, at Rs 1.50 per day. |
| * Reliance Communications has launched a voice portal loaded with over 350,000 popular romantic songs and regional songs. |
| * Tata DOCOMO has launched a ‘2gether platform, created specially for Valentine’s Day, on which one can send anonymous SMSes and e-mails. |
| * Hallmark, which has Vintage Cards and Creations Limited brands, is targeting sales of Rs 3 crore nationally and around Rs 50 lakh in Maharashtra. |
| * Cadbury India is offering bundle packs with small teddy bears, mirrors, key chains and necklaces, at no extra cost. |
| * Titan has various offers like buy one get one, apart from discounts on Fastrack watches and sunglasses. |
| * Gitanjali, a popular brand in gold and diamond jewellery and premium watches, is offering a 25% discount across brands. |
Additional reporting with Pravda Godbole & Shahana Joshi
